water fight! (Mitch at Aldea)

Dear Southern Cross,

Friday was definitely the highlight of the week, maybe even of our whole time here at the Aldea. The month of February is supposedly known as the month of water fighting. All month kids have been secretly filling water balloons and attacking their friends, enemies and every once in a while us. All the water that was thrown during this month does not even compare to the massive water fight that we had yesterday. It was supposed to start after lunch, but I was completely soaked from head to toe around ten in the morning. War had then begun. I decided to leave and buy some water balloons for us to fill up. We soon realized that water balloons really were not as effective as pitchers, buckets, and hoses. The portable swimming pools were filled with water as well, and I think that every kid in the Aldea had at some point taken a dip. many kids spent all day in the pools. We all ate lunch together and the water games continued until 5 or so at night. Then we all danced around a tree that had been prepared with toys and presents hanging from its branches. The kids were to each take a turn with the machete until the tree fell down. Well, there was no machete, so we tried with a large butcher knife but soon realized that if we continued like this, we might find ourselves still hacking at the tree in the morning. One of the older boys then brought an axe and within minutes, the tree had fallen, and kids were going crazy trying to get their hands on a toy! We then had rice pudding, cake and popcorn. What a fun day.
I ate in casa 1 this week. We had a fun time together. With the older girls, I often played checkers with them after lunch and dinner. Sometimes I won, many times I lost. I taught one of them how to play chess. I liked playing that over checkers--I always won :) One of the older girls is Evelyn. I got to know her a little better this week, but not as well as i would like to. She is 13 and very close to a girl named Elvia that lives in the same house. They are always together. She doesn't seem to open up to many others. She is always cheerful and is always smiling. One thing I like about her is that she is very respectful of others and is usually always happy to help out. She doesn't really get involved in too many physical activities, but would rather sit outside her house and talk or think. She seems like she would be a reader to me, someone that could devour book after book and be completely happy. I'm going to have to ask her about that and see if that is something she likes to do. Oh, and she doesn't like to lose at checkers either! If anyone could get away with cheating, it would be her! Because this week the oldest children of the Aldea left on a religious camp out, there was extra milk each day for us. So I bought some little bags so that we could make marcianos (popsicles). Each night after dinner and after checkers, we made some delicious milk marcianos. I averaged about 4 or 5 a day-Yummm.

The internet is up and running in the direction so all is good there. We are just still waiting for computer desks for the computers before they put them in the houses. The kids LOVE learning things on the computer. I taught quite a few new kids this week and had some repeat customers as well.

One Last Request (Mitch at the Aldea)

Dear Southern Cross,

This is my last week for writing about the kids. I don't really know who to highlight. I want to talk about them all. They are all so wonderful and have taught me so much! Karmela and I are still having our regular piano lessons each night from 7:30 till 8:00. She is going to miss the lessons more than anything. She definitely has potential to become quite good at the piano. If there is any way that you could somehow get some self-teaching piano books for her, that would be amazing. She has pretty much learned the basics and just needs to keep practicing.

Jose Andres invented a new game the other day - steal the shoes from one of the girls and run away while she tries to catch him. It turned out to be a success as I was recruited to be on the boys team with Jose and Pedro against 9 girls. The girls sould pass the shoes back and forth while we tried to intercept them. Once we obtained both the shoes, then it was boys against the girls in trying to keep the shoes from falling into their hands. I guess the kids liked it so much that they already have planned to play it on Monday after school.

Cesar Humbarto and Juan Carlos have been exercising with me almost every day. They are both doing chin-ups and push-ups every day. Cesar and I have a goal that if he can do 15 chin-ups and 50 push-ups before I go, I give him something that belongs to me. A month ago he started out only doing 7 chin-ups and 25 push-ups. Now he can do 15 chin-ups and around 40 push-ups. He told me once that he did 50 push-ups in his house. I think it is awesome how far he has come. He has kind of inspired the other boys to start exercising more as well. We will see if he wins the prize or not.

Mitch

Mitch's final report (Aldea)

(note: The following is a letter from intern Mitch - his last letter before ending his internship at the Aldea Infantile.)

Dear Southern Cross,

Life changing. That is how I can most accurately describe my experience in Peru. I went, as many probably do, thinking about the difference that I could make in some children's lives, when in reality, what I gave is small compared to what I received. My love for others has grown and hopefully I can further develop a child's love, a love that has no bounds or reserves and is shared with all. As soon as we walked through the Aldea doors, children were offering to help us with our bags and holding our hands as they accompanied us to our casa. They had no idea who we were. We were a different color than them. We spoke a different language; and yet, they immediately loved us. I want to love as they loved.

Peru has also taught me that it is not so important what is done together, but rather the time that is spent together. Many children just wanted to talk with you, walk with you, or simply sit beside you. I have vowed to spend more time with those I love. Peru is home to many wonderful families, some of which I was only privileged to meet, while others I was privileged to stay with for a certain amount of time. It seemed to me that many families were more concerned about building family unity that they were about building their financial portfolio. These people really knew how to spend quality time with their families, something I hope to improve upon with my own family Peru has taught me that instead of hoping to find more joy with the acquisition of material things, find joy in the things you already have. It is okay to not have a toilet seat; at least there was a toilet. It is okay to have a house full of bugs; at least I had a house. It is okay to not have a personal car; conveys and taxis do just fine. It is okay to not have clocks or watches; more time could be dedicated to the moment. It is okay to not have computers and ipods, more time can be spent interacting with real, living beings.

Peru has taught me to share. I saw countless times people who had so little, give so much. Many people are so willing to offer their home, food and resources to help others. While traveling on the bus once, a lady who we were talking to, invited us to lunch and if needed, offered us her place to stay the night. Another time while traveling, we became friends with a family that made us promise that we would visit them when we passed through Lima and once again, offered us their home if we needed a place to stay. A couple of times at the Aldea, a kid brought me some fruit that he had just picked off of a tree. Two kids at the Aldea gave me their bracelets cause I mentioned that I liked them. I need to be less concerned with what I have, but concentrate on what I can give.

Above all, my heart has been softened, and I hope that I can continue helping where possible at the Aldea, especially in finding people to adopt. Just think, if every solid married couple in the world chose to adopt just one child, there would be no orphans and many happy children. I know that in addition to the children that I hope to have, I am going to adopt at least one child, and offer him/her the endless opportunities that I enjoy.

Thank you Southern Cross for aiding me in coming to the Aldea.

Mitch

mitch's ankle

This week has been…interesting. Due to the rain, many of the activities have been canceled. And frankly, I don’t blame the tias of the houses for not wanting the kids go outside, because it is extremely difficult to keep the house and the kids clean with all the mud. Regardless though, us boys managed to get in a super fun and WET game of soccer just before dinner on Wednesday. Instead of playing on the court, we played in the grass where we could slip and fall without serious injury—or so we thought. It wasn’t long till one of the kids had jammed his big toe and near the end of the game, my foot managed to find a small hole in the ground and needless to say, I didn’t leave the field walking. I decided that I might as well go to the doctor, and thankfully, nothing was broken. Within a week or so, I should be back and ready for another soccer match! (I certainly hope so, cause I can’t stand not being able to run around with the kids and missing my exercises)

One of the children that has stood out to me not only this week, but since the beginning, is Bray Helin. We have been on the same volleyball team a number of times and even though we don’t always win, she loves playing. Sometimes it is against my will. There was one time that Bray Helin and two other girls came to my house and pretty much dragged me to the volleyball court to play. I think she likes dancing the best though. The girls here can dance forever! I ate in her house last week and can I just say that eating at a specific house for a week is probably the best idea ever. I can’t tell you how invaluable it has been in connecting with more of the kids here. Bray Helin is a confident, beautiful young lady. She is super sweet, and often helped get me some extra fruit here and there from the mom. She was one of the girls that would often play the dice game with me and others of the house after lunch or dinner. She definitely is more girly in how she carries herself and acts compared to many of the other girls here. She reminds me a lot of my sister actually.

Hopefully the rain doesn’t interfere too much with our time with the kids and that soon I will be able to back in all the wonderful action here at the Aldea!
Saludos a todos,
Mitch

expecting the unexpected (Mitch at the Aldea)

Hola! This week's events can only be summed up by one word--UNEXPECTED. Life at the orphanage is quite different than life back home. All the bugs gave most of us an unwanted welcome, but it was only a matter of days until the bugs and girls were able to work things out and become friends; well, at least tolerate one another.

Since the kids are not in school, they have plenty of free time available, and that means that there is much that can be done by us the volunteers. This week we formulated and finalized a well planned schedule that we envision will keep the kids busy: sports, swimming, dancing, cycling, proper hygiene classes, english classes, computer classes, art and drawing, more dancing and trips to the beach.

This summer we divided the children into three groups--the Little Ones, the Wolves and the Dragons--according to age and mental ability. The first group includes kids age 2-6. The second group includes kids age 7-13. And the final group includes kids 14-17. We are excited to get things rolling on Monday!

Besides the work put into the new summer schedule, much of our time was devoted to helping the sick. Regardless of the set backs, all of us, except maybe the girl that is still sick, agree that this week has been one of the most fun and enriching week of our lives. All week I was assigned to eat with the family in house number 1. All girls live there, ranging from 6 months to 16 years. One morning after breakfast I played a board game with the older girls. I guess they did not like that I was winning because in the middle of the game, before I knew what was happening, they wiped away the board pieces and declared that we were starting over! There were three younger ones though, Saralí, Antonina, and Miriam, that I spent the most time with, or should I say, they made sure to spend the most time with me. Every time they would see me it was like I was under attack! All of them wanted piggy-back rides and to have me help them do flips in the air while holding onto their hands. Sometimes I would pretend to faint and then they would dog-pile me and start tickling me or poking me till I gave in.

We have all learned so much. These next three months will undoubtedly be among the most treasured of our lives.

Gracias por todo lo que hace,

Mitch and the girls

An Example for the Older Boys (Mitch at the Aldea)

Things continue to go well with the older boys as well. We had another late night of Uno playing, which I never did win by the way, and I feel like day by day I am becoming more of a big brother to them. One thing I want to be an example of is to always treat girls with respect. There is a huge lack of respect here among the kids. If I can help out even the littlest bit in treating girls with respect, I will be most satisfied.

One of the boys, Juan Carlos, is doing exceptionally well. He, along with the others, has so much potential to become someone in this world, find success, and make a difference. Juan is definitely the most reserved of the older boys, but makes a super good friend for the others. Every once in a while, Juan will show his crazy side, like when us boys beat the girls in volley ball 2 games to 1 and he starts doing his victory dance; or when at the beach, he starts a mud fight out in the water against Cori and I which only ends when we finally leave the beach 3 hours later. The boys got Cori pretty good. I still think she is picking mud out of her hair.

Juan loves to play soccer and surprisingly, he loves learning how to swim. He is one of the few kids that are in swimming lessons that takes it seriously and really wants to learn. He absolutely loves the water!

cute little Emerson! (Mitch at the Aldea)

Another fantastic week here at the Aldea! Things are running along smoother now, as we are all finding our own little niche here and contributing in ways that only we as unique individuals can. English classes are now occurring regularly, but we are still waiting for the computers to be moved into the individual módulos. We really want to start teaching the kids some basic computer skills.

I ate in módulo 8 this week. Mostly girls live there, but there are a couple of little boys, among whom one is Emerson. He still can’t talk yet, but that doesn’t stop him from expressing a little of his personality. He loves being apart of what the older kids are doing. Often after dinner or lunch I would play a dice game with some of the girls and he always wanted to be at the table with us and help gather the dice. He is an incredibly calm boy, but when you can manage to get him laughing, it takes a while for him to stop. On Thursday my módulo went to a special swimming pool in the afternoon outside the Aldea. We had to walk some distance after being dropped off, so I was in charge of carrying him to the pool. He made himself comfortable on top of my shoulders and really enjoyed the ride down to the pool. He is a super good kid.

my new best friend...Andres (mitch at aldea)

This week was definitely better than last week--no sick interns. With regards to the schedule and all the things we have planned to do each week, we were able to accomplish much. The two large portable swimming pools have been assembled and we have had quite a struggle getting them out to do anything else, especially because it has been so hot this week.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the morning, I get to go with the older children along with one of the other interns to Trujillo. The girls have an athletic class and the boys have a soccer class. Immediately after they all have swimming lessons. Since another intern and I are the only adults that go with them, it is a really good time to bond with them. We aren't allowed to participate in soccer and the athletic class, but those in charge of swimming have allowed us to get in with the kids and do what they are required to do in their lessons as support.

One of the other interns, Bri, is going to highlight a girl named Karla. I just want to say that I am impressed with her athletic ability. She is a natural at long jump and at running--strides ahead of the rest, literally. She has just the right amount of confidence and is a beautiful young lady. She has a lot of potential to succeed in life if given the right opportunities.

My new best friend though would have to be Andrés. He lives in modulo 2 and that is where I was assigned to eat this week, so we saw each other at least three times a day and often many more. He is around 11 years-old and loves to play in the water and play soccer. He has a kind heart, always offering to help me when ever I was doing something, like sweeping or cleaning the pools. A couple of times this week we played a board game called "ludo". I find it interesting that even the most disobedient child wants to do good deep inside. Andrés is far from being super disobedient, but like many others, it is hard to be nice when everyone is fighting for attention all the time. After dinner, I would offer to help clean. Sometimes I would help one of the kids sweep. It was only a couple of days later that Andrés started to offer to help me when ever I was doing something.

With the board game, the kids are ruthless with each other. They will cheat and lie at any opportunity. When we played ludo, I tried to show a little mercy, not knocking off the other player sometimes and helping others out. I kept repeating that I wasn't playing to win, although i don't mind winning, I just liked having fun with them, whether I win or lose. Andrés then starting helping others out and everyone was a lot more calm while we were playing and when someone finally did win, the others didn't freak out like they are accustomed to. As well, when we played soccer, I keep reiterating that I will try my hardest to win, but whether I win or lose, it isn't as important as the fact that we have fun.

I also spent a couple of hours watching a cartoon that modulo #2 love to watch. Andrés, along with the other kids, were so excited to have me join them. Something so neat was when Andrés gave me one of the two identical bracelets he was wearing. We really have become good buds. Hopefully I can be a positive influence for good not only for Andrés, but for others at the Aldea. I think many kids simply need a male figure to look up to.

Here is a picture of Andrés and some friends and I in a little pool they have (this was the only pool we had to swim in until we set up the bigger ones). I promise that is not his middle finger. He kinda looks like a little gangster :)
The other picture is of Karla doing the long jump.

Alfredo and Ruben (Mitch at the Aldea)

One kid that I have absolutely fallen in love with is 4 year-old (3 or 4, I really don't know exactly) Alfredo. If I was to have a little boy of my own, I would want him to be like this little guy--spunky, happy, funny, strong and super trusting. Every time Alfredo sees me, even if he is 50 feet away, he makes a huge mischievous smile and then starts running full speed straight at me, and right before he reaches me he jumps and for some reason trusts that I will catch him. Sometimes I go looking for the guy just so he will come and jump into my arms--I absolutely love it! He loves sitting on someone's lap and is always curious of what you are doing.

And then there is Ruben. This guy is a little older than Alfredo, but just as much fun. I went to the beach last week with his house and another house and we had an absolutely awesome time together. Along with the help of some of his friends, we were able to bury Ruben completely in the beach, leaving only his head out of the sand. The waves were so good that day and the beach had the perfect steepness that when the waves would break on the shore they could carry a kid 10-15 feet up the sand, not to mention me along with them! Of course Ruben was one of the first to figure this out and it wasn't long till many of the kids all opted to get hammered by these waves and rocketed up the beach. So much fun, and so much fun to watch!

Also at the beach, him and most of the other boys starting playing a game where they would throw a soccer ball into the sea and then wait to catch it as the waves would shoot the ball up on shore. Pretty soon they started asking me to throw the ball out to sea as I could throw it considerably farther than they could. As usual, the ball would eventual make it back to shore and they would scramble to be the first to catch it. The game evolved further to include point values for who ever grabbed the ball first when it finally came back to shore. We would play games up to 500. Ruben is almost fearless and always willing to try new things. If you didn't already figure it out, he loves to swim!

Antonia's Dream (Mitch at the Aldea)

Another amazing week! Every day I feel like I am making more and more connections with the kids, especially the older ones this week. Their shells are a lot harder to crack than the little ones, but with all the time I am spending with them has sure helped. I taught the four older boys how to play uno and since I was eating at their house this week, we must have played it everyday at least 2 or three times. The weird thing is that they were the ones that kept asking me to play and didn't want to stop. I guess they are not so big and bad after all.

On friday the older kids, another volunteer and I did a caminata from the athletic stadium to Huaca del Sol (some ancient town that had been buried under earth). Besides the fact that it was scorching hot and we were walking for 3 hours and then on the way home we ran out of gas and had to wait another two and a half hours till we were on our way again, it was a productive day. I got to know a little better a girl named Antonia. She is 17 years-old and will be having to leave the Aldea soon. She has a little boy that is two years old and from what I understand it was not her choice to become pregnant and have a child. She is one of my favorites cause she is so responsible and mature compared to the other youth there. She doesn't have to be told everything in order for her to do it and she is really good at complying with what others ask her to do. She never fights with the other kids but is usually the peace maker of the bunch. She always participates in the activities that are planned for her. Her dream is to become an English professor, I say go for it. Whether she ends up teaching English or some other subject doesn't really matter to me, but i made her promise me that when she does leave the Aldea that she will do everything possible to make her dream become a reality.